UT Austin Admission: Organizing Your Application Materials

Preparing to apply to the University of Texas - Austin? Here's the Information You Need for UT Austin Admission: Get Organized Before You Apply

Almost all colleges and universities require applicants to submit additional documents beyond the application itself to complete your application for admission and enter the review process. UT Austin is no exception. 

UT AUSTIN’S REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS

Application Component	Required	Notes
Application	Yes	Common App is the preferred method for application into Fall semesters.  *Must be received by the deadline to apply for either Early Action or Regular Decision.
Application Fee	Yes	Unless you qualify for a waiver. *Paid at the time you apply.
Personal Statement	Yes	Requires an essay response to the Common App personal statement. *Submitted at the time you apply.
Supplemental Essays	Yes	Currently, two supplemental essays required for and one optional offer for general admission.  Honors applications will almost always require additional essays. *Submitted at the time you apply.
Standardized Testing	Yes	Reinstated for Summer/Fall 2025.  Must submit from the testing agency and must arrive by materials deadline for EA and RD.  Submit “at least one test” so does not require submission of full testing profile.  UT Codes SAT — 6882 ACT — 4240 Must arrive by stated deadlines: EA: 10/23 and RD: 12/31, must self-report by 12/11 in MyStatus
High School Transcripts	Yes	Must come from your high school directly and must prove that you meet minimum entry requirements.  If you attend a high school in Texas, you will also need to provide your ranking or a statement on your school’s non-ranking policy.  Must arrive by stated deadlines: EA: 10/23 and RD: 12/31, must self-report by 12/11 in MyStatus
Resume	Optional	If you submit, UT asks for extended resume. *Not required for general admission but might be required for some Honors Programs. Must arrive by stated deadlines to complete and submit either 1) supplemental materials or 2) Honors application materials if you are applying.
Letters of Recommendation	Optional	You can submit letters via MyStatus, CommonApp, Naviance.  Do not have to be from teachers, actually encourage non-teacher recs that share something about you not already included in your application. NOT required to proceed with your application.  Must arrive by stated deadlines: EA: 10/23 and RD: 12/31, must self-report by 12/11 in MyStatus
Admission Interview	NO	Not offered for general admission.

Below, you can read more information about each of the application components required to complete your application to UT Austin and enter the review process for admission. 

If you haven’t already, make sure to read this blog post about the UT Austin Application Timeline for important information about the dates and deadlines that all required documents must be received by the UT Austin admission office in order to complete your application for admission on time.

Application

UT Austin prefers that students use the Common Application when applying. In previous years, they have also used Apply Texas.

While they may continue to do so in the future, their website lists only the Common Application as the preferred method of application for the Fall term.

Standardized Testing

After pausing the testing requirement from Fall 2021 to Fall 2024, UT Austin reinstated the requirement for SAT or ACT testing to complete the application for admission, beginning with the Class of 2025 graduating seniors.

Here are the most important things to know about UT Austin’s testing requirements:

• Official test scores must be submitted by the appropriate deadline associated with your application plan – Early Action or Regular Decision.

• UT’s policy is that you submit ONE official test score from the SAT or ACT, not your entire testing record. For more on UT’s policy, read here.

• Scores must come from the testing agency to meet the application requirement. In other words, self-reported testing is not sufficient.

• When sending your scores, use these codes to identify UT Austin:

  • SAT: 6882

  • ACT: 4240

• If you have sent your official scores but worry they won’t arrive on time, you should use the self-report option in MyStatus. This is sufficient until your official report arrives.

• If you apply Early Action and your scores do not arrive on time, your application is rolled over to Regular Decision.

• If you apply Regular Decision and your scores do not arrive on time, your application will be denied as incomplete.

• UT Austin has historically NOT superscored the SAT or ACT, instead focusing on your highest composite score.

FAQ: Does UT superscore the SAT or ACT?

UT Austin has historically NOT superscored the SAT or ACT, instead focusing on your highest composite score.

Transcripts

Your transcript must be sent to UT from your high school directly. This is most commonly done through electronic submission through Parchment or by uploading them to your MyStatus account. Submission of your transcripts through any other means makes them "unofficial" and UT Austin does not expect unofficial transcripts to complete your application for admission.

UT uses your transcript to look for a few key things:

• RANK: If you're a Texas resident, your high school rank. This is directly related to the automatic admission policy that governs UT’s admission process. If you're from Texas but your high school doesn’t rank, UT will internally calculate your expected rank, which is said to be accurate within a point or two.

• MINIMUM ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: To be minimally eligible for admission, you need to meet these requirements. However, at a selective university like UT, meeting the minimum requirements is likely not enough to make the cut.

• COURSE RIGOR: Assuming you meet the minimum requirements, your transcript will be evaluated for course rigor. Whether you take AP, IB, or Dual Credit courses, UT Austin doesn’t have a strong preference. What they care most about is whether you are taking the most challenging coursework available to you at your high school.

• CALCULUS READINESS: If you are applying for majors in engineering, geosciences, or environmental sciences, your transcript will need to show that you are calculus-ready. Read more about that on UT’s website here.

Your transcript must arrive by the stated application materials deadline associated with your admission plan. Typically, those deadlines are:

Early Action: 10/23

Regular Decision: 12/31 (must self-report by 12/11 in MyStatus)

Whether you apply Early Action or Regular Decision, your first-semester senior year grades will not play a role in the evaluation of your application.

Resume

Submitting a resume to UT-Austin is allowed (you can now upload it in the Common Application before submitting your application), but it is NOT required for general admission.

If you want to submit a resume to UT-Austin, you can do so by uploading it in the Common Application or uploading through your UT MyStatus page after you have applied.  

Special Note: If you are applying to Honors programs at UT Austin, a resume is currently required to complete these UT Honors Applications (updated: Fall 2025):

• Canfield Business Honors

• Electrical and Computer Engineering Honors

• Honors Electrical and Computer Engineering and Business (ECB)

• Liberal Arts Honors

• Natural Science Honors

• Plan II Honors

• Texas Honors Computer Science and Business (Texas CSB)

• Turing Scholars

Why Submit a Resume?

I advise all students to start their university application process with the resume. Why? Because what you are putting together in the application process is a story about who you are, the experiences you have had during high school, and how they have all shaped you personally and academically. The resume is a great way to initially organize extracurricular experiences so that you can view them alongside your academic profile, which is captured in your transcript. 

Furthermore, I always suggest that students submit a resume with their application if 1) there is an opportunity to do so and 2) you have worked hard to craft one that details important aspects of your contribution to the communities you belong to and your investment of time and energy into the things that you care most about. 

Letters of Recommendation

While NOT required to complete your application for admission, you can submit two letters of recommendation (maximum) either at the time of your application or after applying through your UT MyStatus account. 

When to Submit Letters of Recommendation

For general admission, you must submit letters of recommendation by the supplemental materials deadline for your application program (i.e. Early Action or Regular Decision). 

For Honors programs where a letter of recommendation is required, you must submit it by the application deadline for the Honors program specifically. 

How to Submit Letters of Recommendation

The easiest way to submit letters of recommendation is through the Common Application. In the “Recommenders and FERPA Section” of the application, you can enter the name and email address of your recommender. This sends them a request for a recommendation letter along with a link specific to your application. Once they upload their letter of recommendation, it is available and ready to be sent to UT Austin through the Common Application at the same time you click “submit” on your admission application. 

You can also submit letters of recommendation through MyStatus, which you gain access to only after applying to UT Austin, through school-based software like Naviance, Parchment, Maia, Scoir, or by mail (not recommended). 

Who to Ask For UT Austin Letters of Recommendation

UT Austin takes a slightly different approach to letters of recommendation since they are not a requirement to complete the general admission application. For many universities that require letters of recommendation, the expectation is that two academic letters from current or past teachers are submitted to complete your application.

For UT Austin, the “rules” are more flexible, allowing you to submit letters from mentors, including teachers, but also open to those outside of your high school community who know you well and might be able to share more insight into who you are and what you contribute to the larger community. 

In UT’s own words, “The letter should be able to give additional context or information to support your admission that is not already provided in your application or other submitted documents (resume, transcripts).”

Admission Interview

This one is super simple: UT Austin does not provide admission interviews.

UT Austin Essays

To complete your application for general admission to UT Austin, you will write three essays. An additional fourth short answer essay is optional.

UT Austin Essays You Can Expect to Write:

• Personal Statement

• UT Short Answer: Why Major Essay

• UT Short Answer: AnswerExtracurricular Essay

• OPTIONAL: UT Short Answer: Circumstances Affecting Your Academics

Special Note: If you are applying to any UT Honors Programs, you should be prepared to write additional essays that show:

1. A deep understanding of the Honors program you are applying to enter, and

2. A strong defense of your candidacy for admission into it.